Re: [MAINTAINERS SUMMIT] Time to call it quits for the maintainer summit?

["Lorenzo Stoakes (ARM)" <ljs@kernel.org>]

+cc David as reference below.

On Sun, Aug 09, 2026 at 09:26:53PM -0400, Theodore Tso wrote:
> On Sun, Aug 09, 2026 at 05:56:45PM -0500, Liam R. Howlett wrote:
> >
> > We could have a reserved number of seats dedicated for specific
> > subject that are temporary seats that would be used for a specific
> > topic.  As a specific topic expert or interested party, they would
> > be less likely to stay quiet or be disregarded as not knowing the
> > workings of a specific policy.
>
> One of the reasons why we discuss maintainers summit topics in advance
> is partially to create the agenda, but to also be aware who some of
> the interested parties will be.  And the program committee *does* take
> that into account.
>
> The other reason why the discussions on the ksummit list are so useful
> is that it *is* a pre-MS discussion.  Everyone gets to hear the voices
> who feel strongly about a particular topic --- for example, such as
> the AI/LLM discussion.  The voices and ideas that are presented in the
> mailing list is absolutely something that influences the discussion
> that happens in the room.

Your emails are really unclear.

They say this:

	The attendees are jointly selected by Linus Torvlads (who has provided
	us with a roughly a dozen maintainers that he would like to attend),
	and the program committee, who choose from maintainers and developers
	who have been the most active in the past year.

(Though I question whether 'most active' is a good metric or one that's
actually being used).

OK cool - as David Airlie says - it's Linus's staff meeting and people he
most interacts with are invited, fine.

But then you say this:

	Anybody proposing a topic before July 24th will be added to the list
	of potential attendees selected by the program committee; other
	potential nominees can be proposed (as a self-nomination or by others)
	by sending a note to the ksumimt list saying why that person's
	presence would help the discussion.

Which is like a CFP at any other conference implying that topic submission
is tied to attendance.

I think you should make it clear that topic suggestion is entirely separate.

Right now it seems to me to be a bit of a muddle.

--
Cheers, Lorenzo